Integrated National Police

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The Integerated National Police or INP was one of two national police forces in the Phillipines prior to 1991. It served basically as the municipal police force for the larger towns and cities,

1 Development
2 Criticism
3 Duties
4 Merger
5 See Also

[edit] Development

Until the mid-1970s, the independent city and municipal police forces took charge of maintaining peace and order on a local level, calling on the PC for aid when the need arose. The National Police Commission was established in 1966 to improve the professionalism and training of local police and exercised some supervisory authority over the police. However, it was widely seen that this system had several serious defects such jurisdictional limitations, lack of uniformity, poor interagency coordination, disputes between police forces. Lastly was the partisan political involvement in police employment, appointments, assignments, and promotions with local political bosses routinely using the police as private armies to protect their personal interests and intimidate their political opponents.

In order to correct such deficiencies, the 1973 constitution provided for the integration of public safety forces. Several presidential decrees were subsequently issued, integrating the police, fire, and jail services in the 1,500 cities and municipalities into the INP. On August 8, 1975, Presidential Decree 765 officially established the joint command structure of the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police.

Approximately 10 percent of INP personnel staff were fire protection, and prison officials. The Philippine National Police Academy provided training for INP officer cadets. Established under the INP's Training Command in 1978, the academy offered a bachelor of science degree in public safety following a two-year course of study. Admission to the school was highly competitive.

[edit] Criticism

Integrated National Police was the subject of some criticism and were accused of involvement in illegal activities, violent acts and abuse and charges of corruption were frequent. To correct their image problem, the government sponsored highly publicised programs to identify and punish police offenders, and training designed to raise their standard of appearance, conduct, and performance.

[edit] Duties

The Integrated National Police was assigned responsibility for public safety, protection of lives and property, enforcement of laws, and maintenance of peace and order throughout the nation. To carry out these responsibilities, it was given powers "to prevent crimes, effect the arrest of criminal offenders and provide for their detention and rehabilitation, prevent and control fires, investigate the commission of all crimes and offenses, bring the offenders to justice, and take all necessary steps to ensure public safety." The Philippine Constabulary retained responsibility for dealing with serious crimes or cases involving jurisdictions far apart from one another, and the INP took charge of less serious crimes and local traffic, crime prevention, and public safety.

The INP's organization paralleled that of the PC in that the thirteen PC regional command headquarters were the nuclei for the Integrated National Police's regional commands.

The constabulary's seventy-three provincial commanders, in their capacity as provincial police superintendents, had operational control of Integrated National Police forces in their respective provinces.

Provinces were further subdivided into 147 police districts, stations, and substations in towns and cities. The constabulary was responsible for patrolling remote rural areas.

In Metro Manila's four cities and thirteen municipalities, the Integrated National Police's Metropolitan Police Force shared the headquarters of the constabulary's Capital Command. The commanding general of the Capital Command was also the director of the INP's Metropolitan Police Force and directed the operations of the capital's four police and fire districts.

[edit] Merger

On January 1, 1991, the INP was folded into the PC to form the Philippine National Police, or PNP ,who took responsibility for most former INP functions, including fire and jail services, The PNP assumed responsibility for the counterinsurgency effort from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1993.